Charles Barkley’s Take On Cancel Culture

Look man, my accomplishments on the basketball court have given me a platform. I am forever in the public eye, and I can live with that, but I am no role model. Just because I can dunk a basketball does not mean I should raise your kids. As I get older I realize the world is similar to basketball. Time brings change and despite that being unsettlin’, it is uncontrollable. In basketball, the goal remains the same, to win a championship, but the game is different than it was when I played. Lebron James will never understand what it means to play against The Bad Boys, just like Michael Jordan can’t begin to grasp the challenge that is the Splash Brothers. I say things without thinkin’ and while we’re not all supposed to think alike, as time brings along change I am learning I don’t always have to speak. Basketball put me in the position I am in today, so I need to do a better job of understandin’ the consequences that come with it. But you can’t sit on the sidelines of life, and sometimes that line is more difficult to judge than people realize. The only difference between a good shot and a bad shot is if it goes in or not, or in my position how somebody reacts to my comments. However, everybody wants to protect their own tribe, whether right or wrong, and as an athlete I respect that. I always had my teammates back even when we were wrong. Cancel culture is tricky, and I am still trying to understand it. Regardless, it is part of our culture, so I have to be more aware of what I say even if some people are just stupid.